About Mr. Tufts

Following graduation from Wall High School in 1997, Mr. Andrew Tufts attended James Madison University. There, Tufts played trombone in the Marching Royal Dukes marching band, wrote and edited for the school newspaper, the Breeze, played club Water Polo, and played in the Court Square Ringers, the handbell ensemble for Court Square Presbyterian Church. He also attended two Wrestlemanias and had golden hair. In 2001, Tufts graduated from JMU with a degree in Media Arts & Design with a concentration in Print Journalism. He also tried to earn his teaching certificate but had declared an incompatable major, failed Calculus miserably, and informally minored in US History; Mathematics & Education were an early professional tease.

In his first post-graduation life, Mr. Tufts worked as a landscape foreman for William Pearson Landscape before accepting a job with George Harms Construction, where he stayed for 2 years. During that time, Tufts helped construct the Hazlet train station, the RT. 1 & 130 interchange near New Brunswick, and Exit 89 on the Garden State Parkway. Additionally, Tufts spent a majority of his time building, running, and maintaining the hydraulic coring drill on the Raritan River during the construction of the RT. 35 Victory Bridge connecting South & Perth Amboy. Mr. Tufts sustained at least two memorable near-death experiences during this time, and left the company in 2004 following reconstructive shoulder surgery in order to pursue his passion for education, and lust for life.

The 4th year of the millennium was a pivotal one for Mr. Andrew Tufts. By its conclusion, Tufts had established his own landscape business (Day & Night Landscape), started a high school youth program at the First Presbyterian Church of Manasquan (which he led 5 mission trips out of), and enrolled in the graduate program at Monmouth University (where he fell in love with Mathematics & the education of it). Tufts still conducts the Jubilee Handbell Choir and Chancel Choir at 1st Presbyterian, and routinely dreams about adventures in bridge construction. Mr. Tufts still plays trombone, and, at times, dabbles with funky bass licks; he excels at residential moving, dishwasher loading, beach volleyball playing, and fantasy football dominating. Tufts has fallen out of practice with his Saturday morning beach sunrises. 

Andrew Tufts has a lot to be thankful for these days. In addition to the awesome 17-year old daughter, Greysen he continues to raise ably, Mr. Tufts has two additional children, Molly (14) and Will (12), that he now raises with his wife, Laurie. Together, they have more favorite colors and numbers than he can keep track of, but they provide infinite excitement and entertainment for their family. They are all fantastic Jazzinators.